The Catholic Women's League of St. Vincent de Paul Church is gearing up to celebrate 75 years of service and dedication to the family and the community.

The C.W.L. has a proud record of involvement, as the league is very progressive in the community and is about more than just having a bake sale or organizing a fund-raising project.

"We still have the occasional bake sale," reassured Marilyn Schuck of the C.W.L. "But, we tend to get more involved in things that can affect our lives as Christians. One of our challenges is to confront anything that devalues human life. If there are any laws that need our attention, we get involved, make a stand and write letters. We are extremely concerned about what our governments are doing."

The St. Vincent de Paul C.W.L. was formed on October 28, 1926 with Corrine Vandendriessche elected as the first president. Preservation of the Christian family was the first mandate of business initiated by the C.W.L. and important efforts were made during wartime, tuberculosis and polio strikes, and with aid to immigrants.

"In the early days," Schuck added. "the women of the Weyburn group were not only involved in the church, but also in the community. Women didn't take an active role in any political ideas back then, so they helped out on a local level. There was also a lot of help to new immigrants of Canada when they moved into the area."

The St. Vincent de Paul C.W.L. attends many local, provincial and national meetings to discuss the issues prominent to each area. Schuck attended the last national meeting and participated in discussions concerning pensions, water supplies, palliative care and education.

"We're very interested in education and what's going on in our schools," Schuck said. "We try to act on behalf of our children to help make our schools as pleasant and safe as possible."

The 75th anniversary celebrations of the C.W.L. take place on Sunday, Oct. 28. Ceremonies begin with mass at 4 p.m., followed by a reception, banquet, awards and entertainment. For further information, please call St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.